Push and Pull
by blackestfaery
Summary: COMPLETE. “Which just goes to show you how low my standards have slipped.” Ryouki had apparently gotten over his personality trip. Fic Three: Liking You.
1. Only Me

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All characters, terms, and affiliates of _Hot Gimmick_ are not mine, but belong to their respective owner, Miki Aihara, and its licensor, VIZ.

Notes: This will be a collection of short RyoxHatsu ficlets and drabbles for the manga series, _Hot Gimmick_. I've got a bunch of ideas that are rather half-baked and would not constitute an entire one-shot, so instead, I'll be posting them as non-sequential, completely unrelated fics. But for the ease of reading, they'll be collected under the title _Push and Pull._

Enjoy!

* * *

Push and Pull

written by: theblackestfaery

* * *

Only Me

* * *

Hatsumi was in absolute heaven._"Oh…"_

How had she not noticed him before? Was she blind?

_"Wow…"_

With wide eyes, she watched as Rusty Ryan ate his food with apparent, sensual ease. Licking her own lips, Hatsumi couldn't help but wish that she were the spoon.

_Eating food like that should be outlawed, _she thought. _Or at least censored._

Almost groaning at the sight of Brad Pitt licking the last bit of parfait from his pouty bottom lip, Hatsumi turned to her ominously quiet companion.

"What did you say his name was?"

Slumped in his seat, Ryouki turned. He regarded her as he slowed worked his jaw.

Finally he leaned over.

"His name is Ryouki Tachibana. Ryouki. Tachibana."

End

* * *

Notes: The movie I'm referring to here is _Oceans Eleven._ I don't rightly remember what Brad Pitt was eating, but I do remember he was outside and (I think) watching a race of some sort. What I know for sure is that that man can make anything sexy as hell.

Also, this situation is based on a true story that happened to one of my girlfriends. Her and her then boyfriend now fiance (yay!) were watching _Barbershop_, and the man in question that she saw on the screen was actor Michael Ealey. I chose Brad Pitt because I needed somebody that for sure is super sexy and – quite by accident – can be compared to Ryouki feature-wise: blonde hair, light eyes…

Any way, my friend really _did_ ask her fiancé who the actor was and he replied by saying his own name. In short, he wanted her to only think of him. When I heard about it, I instantly thought "Ryouki!"


	2. Quiet Time

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All characters, terms, and affiliates of _Hot Gimmick_ are not mine, but belong to their respective owner, Miki Aihara, and its licensor, VIZ.

Notes: You don't need to say it. I'm aware that this isn't the chapter everyone's waiting for – TM's chapter four is. I'm still working on that one and it _will_ be done. I refuse to give a date, for being me, I will inevitably not make it in time. Gentle encouragement in reviews and emails really do make my day, but pestering me about how it's cruel to not update quickly on the last chapter will make me want to drag my feet.

I apologize for that, but I felt that it needed to be said. Suffice it to say and however badly we wished there wasn't, we all have lives outside of the anime fandom. It catches up to us once in a while and unfortunately, it sometimes can't be ignored.

Having said that, please enjoy this humble peace offering in the stretch between TM's chapters.

* * *

Push and Pull

written by: theblackestfaery

Chapter Two: Quiet Time

* * *

It was the dust motes that woke her from her sleep. Like daytime versions of fireflies, the tufty specks winked in and out of the filtered light peeping through the drawn blinds. The sight was peaceful, calming. It matched the lazy Saturday she had spent—

Hatsumi snorted. Hm. Now if they would only stop trying to float up her nose…

Scrunching up said appendage, Hatsumi made to scratch her nose in what felt like an impending sneeze…

And found her arm locked to her side.

By another arm that was. Definitely. Not. Hers.

Hatsumi looked down, uncomprehending.

For one, the arm was large and sleekly muscled – a far cry from the one it currently pinned. And – Hatsumi gulped, a tight coil of apprehension squeezing her stomach – for another, the arm was covered in a fine layer of blonde hair.

"Wh-"

Her eyes followed the arm up past a bare shoulder to a face turned towards her in sleep. Even half buried in a pillow and with hair obstructing his face, Hatsumi would never have mistaken him for anyone else.

He breathed out, a soft huff that caressed her suddenly hot skin.

Weak, she fell back against her own pillow.

Oh. That's right.

She'd slept with Ryouki Tachibana.

* * *

Half an hour later, and she still hadn't moved. Her eyes were dry from staring at the ceiling.

She was afraid to look at him.

But no, that wasn't right. She didn't _need_ to see him.

Her ears could hear the cadence of his breath. The smooth inhalation, the slight pause before exhalation… In_, one two three, _out_, four five six_…

Her heart calmed and she breathed in time with him for a moment. But it wasn't long until she realized what she'd been doing. Aghast, Hatsumi began to struggle.

_Must… get awa--_

Rub 

Hatsumi froze. And yet another attack of the senses.

Her nerve endings were alive with the foreign sensation of skin against skin. Granted, the only contact she had with him right now was where his arm pressed against hers, but this was Ryouki she was thinking about. Anything to do with him touching her made… well… made her skin _burn_.

Hatsumi held her breath as she felt him shift. _Please don't wake up. I don't think I can handle it if you did…_

His arm tightened and Hatsumi found herself pulled to her side – and inevitably, face to face with –

A still slumbering Tachibana-kun.

The relief she felt was overwhelming.

And as all good things come to an end, it was short lived.

"Hey," his voice was hushed, roughened by sleep. To Hatsumi, it felt like he'd nudged her heart. She watched as he struggled to keep his eyes open. "You awake already? You had me exhausted by 3—"

"Don't say anymore!" Heart-nudging or not, Hatsumi was horrified. Really, he didn't need to say anymore.

"I have to get home." She quickly slipped out of Ryouki's loosened embrace and scooted to the edge of the bed, taking the sheets with her. She ignored his startled exclamation of surprise and reached for her shirt—

And found she was still wearing it.

Eh? 

Hatsumi looked down. _Still… fully… clothed._

She looked back at Ryouki.

With the exception of a missing shirt, he still had all his clothes on.

"What—"

"Nothing happened." His voice, at once resigned and amused, broke her off.

"Nothing?"

"No, and don't make me repeat myself." Ryouki propped himself up against the wall and braced an arm against a drawn up knee. "Don't you remember? You fell asleep when I left to find Mariko-san."

"Oh." Staring at him, with the setting sun casting shadows over his naked chest, an unbidden thought emerged.

_Why didn't you wake me up?_

"Yeah, so… you're precious virginity's safe for today, I guess."

"Yeah…" Distracted by the conflicting emotions that caused, Hatsumi didn't see him move.

One moment, at the foot of the bed, the next…

"There. Much better."

"_Better?"_ Was he crazy? Hatsumi was in fact, sprawled against him. Limbs were tangled, hair was in her face, and – if she was right – _something_ was nudging her hipbone.

Panic welled and she braced her hands against his chest to push away.

"Yes, _better._" Quick to capitalize on his advantage, Ryouki grabbed her wrists and pushed upwards, effectively collapsing Hatsumi's leverage. She fell against him, even more tangled limbs, more hair in her face, and more direct contact with—with—

"Stop moving and it'll go away," Ryouki gritted. Mumbling under his breath, he pulled Hatsumi more firmly against him. _Hopefully_.

"But—"

"No buts," Ryouki's snapped, but his actions belied his words. He placed his hands at Hatsumi's waist, not lower or higher. Just… so.

"I told you nothing happened and nothing's _gonna_ happen." He tucked Hatsumi's face beneath his chin, but not before he saw the absolute shock freezing her face. He huffed and hugged her closer.

"Does sleeping wipe out your memory or something?"

"Eh?" What was he talking about?

"Remember how you dragged me all about the damn city looking for that shirt you swore you saw at that shop that I seriously think you just made up in your head? Remember? Only happened earlier today." Ryouki didn't wait for her to respond. "Yeah, well, we never found the shop, I lost five hours of my life that I'll never get back, and then we came back here."

"Really?"

"Really." His voice was absentminded, and he settled further back onto the bed. Hatsumi's weight settled warmly against him and he paused, the soft press of her body an acute distraction.

"Well?" Hatsumi was getting antsy.

"Just hold on, will ya? It's a long story." Most of which, Ryouki now realized, would have to be tactfully edited out. He tightened his hold as Hatsumi shifted.

"Now, where was I?"

"We came back _here." _He was pushing her buttons, he just had to be.

"Oh, that's right. After I came back from dismissing Mariko-san for the night, I found you asleep. I tried to wake you up by—" _taking off your shirt,_ "shaking you on your shoulder."

"But that was like three hours ago." Hatsumi leaned away, the better to gauge the sincerity of his story. "You don't actually expect me to believe that you behaved the rest of the time, do you?"

"_Yes_, cause it's the _truth_." _Well, _after _I tried taking your shirt off again, and groping your tits, and… _Ryouki was distracted by Hatsumi's sigh.

"Still…we slept together."

"So?" Ryouki didn't get it. "We just slept in the same bed. Slept – as in resting." He shrugged. "What the hell's the big deal?"

"Cause it's more intimate than actually doing it." Frustrated, Hatsumi pushed away, settling to his side. She played with the blanket, feeling the lingering heat of their bodies in its threads. "At least, it seems like it to me."

Ryouki rolled his eyes. He didn't even know why he bothered, but the look on her face made him… ugh. "Explain."

"No, you'll think I'm stupid." Slim fingers pulled at the threads.

"Too late. Explain or you're not leaving this room, and don't think I care about what your mom will think." Ryouki bared his teeth at her in what was definitely not a smile.

"Well…" her eyes darted about. "It… It's just…"

In a flurry of movement, Hatsumi flopped over onto her other side, her back to a startled Ryouki.

Her voice was subdued, her words halting, carefully chosen.

"Strangers… they can do it without even knowing each other's names and not regret it the next day. They could walk by each other on the street, accidentally bump into one another, and they wouldn't even know it."

She rested her gaze on the far wall.

"I guess you could say the same thing for when you're sleeping – like falling asleep on the bus. But… that's somewhere _public." _She snuck a quick glance over her shoulder.

"But what we did… it was here, alone, in _your bed. _I just feel… I feel as if either of us had woken up… If either of us had woken up, we would've seen each other's dreams." Hatsumi shook her head. "I don't know what I do when I sleep, what I look like, whether or not I talk in my sleep…"

She swallowed and curled in on herself.

"That's it. I know you think it's a stupid idea, but that's how I feel."

Hatsumi waited. For what, she didn't know.

It certainly wasn't the soft slide of the blanket being placed around her shoulders or the warm arms settling about her waist. Stiffening, she began to protest.

"Ryouki, what—"

"Quiet." His softly voiced order brushed against a reddening ear. And for once, Hatsumi didn't question his intent. She turned back and let her body relax into his embrace, but not before she noticed that Ryouki lay on top of the covers.

She smiled at that, her lips stretching even more as she felt his weight settle their bodies even deeper into the mattress.

They were quiet for only a moment, an impossibly small grain of sand in the hourglass of time, but it was long enough to have her drifting off, eyes heavy with beckoning slumber. She would wonder later, though, about what she thought she'd heard.

"It's not stupid."

And a moment later.

"I want… to share your dreams."

Hatsumi closed her eyes.

End

* * *

Notes: Blargh. Excuse me while I go off into a corner and wonder if there was even a point to this chapter. Anyways, hope that at least some of you enjoyed that. 


	3. Liking You

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All characters, terms, and affiliates of _Hot Gimmick_ are not mine, but belong to their respective owner, Miki Aihara, and its licensor, VIZ.

Notes: It's RxH, but I need you to assume that it's been some time since Ryo and Hatsu have been together. Ryo's somewhat calmer, but his old, arrogant self is still around. He's just slightly more tactful with his actions. I emphasize the word, _slightly._

_

* * *

_

Push and Pull

written by: theblackestfaery

* * *

Chapter Three: Liking You

* * *

Knee deep in a colourful sea of clothing, Hatsumi held up the last of her shirts against herself and realized she couldn't see her reflection in the mirror. It too was buried beneath a wall of clothing – jeans, to be exact. 

It didn't matter, really. The shirt was too frilly and lacy to be worn around him. With a quick flick, it soon joined its comrades on the floor.

"What am I going to wear?" Frustrated and sweaty from her exertions, Hatsumi sank to what looked to be her chair dressed in a paisley print dress. She looked around, panic slowly creeping up her spine.

15 minutes was all he said he'd give her.

Which _really_ meant she had 5 minutes. Well, that was wrong too, she realized. With all the rooting around for clothes, only 2 minutes remained.

She almost screamed. Frantically, she reached for the closest shirt—

And the doorbell rang.

And Hatsumi promptly gagged.

Her weak, "Just a minute!" was drowned by the sound of slippered feet shushing by her door. Hatsumi hoped it wasn't who she thought it was. Mrs. Narita had stepped out a half hour ago, so there was a chance it would be her...

The creaking of the door was heard and Akane's voice called out.

"Oh, Ryouki-kun! Good morning! Hatsumi's still in her room." Cringing at her sister's bubbly tone, Hatsumi crossed off escaping out the window. There was no time.

That, and the fact that she would've been decorating the cement several stories below.

Leave it to Tachibana-kun to appear at the worst possible time. She was still in her pajamas, her tiny frame shrouded from top to bottom in candy pink flannel.

Hatsumi supposed she couldn't wear them out.

Hearing two sets of feet making their way down the hall pushed her into one last flurry of movement. With a squeak, Hatsumi started grabbing. Akane's voice sing-songed her name, and she responded breathily as she grabbed at something denim from the corner of her eye. She put it on even as her eyes scanned for a top. Any top…

"Hatsumi?"

"Uh, gimme a sec!"

_There!_

Something white was pulled over her head. Next came socks more appropriate for Christmas, but Hatsumi didn't register the glaringly mismatched red and green knee highs. She haphazardly gathered her hair into a knot at the top of her head before running to her door, banging her head against it as her feet slipped.

For a moment, Hatsumi ignored the concerned voices on the other side and glared down at what wrapped itself about her ankle. What she saw made her eyes narrow.

Stupid… stupid… _stupid_ gold lamé pants. She should've known buying them would give her bad karma.

Giving her reddening forehead one last rub, she cracked her door open enough to squeeze her body through. Her effort was wasted as she saw Ryouki's unimpressed face and realized belatedly that he was easily a head taller than her. No amount of squeezing herself could have prevented him from looking over her head.

A lame "hi," and "just cleaning up" was all she could manage for her sister and her stolid boyfriend. She forced a smile on her face and nearly lost it when her gaze turned towards her sister. Akane wore a strange look – a horribly fascinated one that Ryouki mirrored, if Hatsumi had taken the time to decipher it. Instead, Hatsumi gestured towards the apartment door. "Let's go, Ryouki. You said you had to get something?"

It was a moment before Ryouki replied, and even then, it seemed he had to pull himself away from a thought. "Mm…yeah. Let's get going." He turned on his heel and walked away, letting Hatsumi follow behind him.

Akane seemed to break herself from her stare when she heard the door open. "Ha-Hatsumi! Wait!"

* * *

The ride down was eerily silent, and Hatsumi couldn't help but fidget. If she'd been herself, she would've noticed that Ryouki had gone back to staring at her by means of her blurry reflection in the elevator door. The silence continued. 

They were three floors away from their stop when Hatsumi finally burst. Her voice cracked in the silence. "Aren't you gonna say something?"

"Say what?" Ryouki still wouldn't look down at her.

"Like you don't know." Hatsumi tugged on his sleeve. "I know I look a little funny, but it's your fault, you know. You didn't give me enough time!"

She watched as his mouth worked silently, his left eye twitching as he alternately thought up and discarded a response. At length, he finally answered.

"Fine. Whatever fashion trend you're following now doesn't suit you." He glanced down at Hatsumi and restrained himself from wincing. The bead-dazzled polo with the pleaded denim skirt plus the Christmas, Santa socks was definitely not her thing. Not to mention her sandals.

_Socks… with sandals…_ he looked back up and almost shuddered. 

For some reason, though, he didn't have it in him to tell her to go back up and change.

"We were just going to get milk. You didn't have to… uh… get all dressed up."

He wasn't looking and Hatsumi was thankful. She was smiling. Tachibana-kun didn't care what she wore, she realized. He liked her just as herself, and the thought made her want to kiss him. Kiss him really long and—

"Which just goes to show you how low my standards have slipped." Ryouki had apparently gotten over his personality trip. Hatsumi promptly lost her smile. She felt a headache coming on.

"Don't try anything new, Narita. You don't have the body type for it. You don't have the hips and you definitely don't got big enough tits."

Forget the kiss. She was going to punch him. Punch him then kick him in the balls—

"Just wear your normal clothes. I like you in your normal clothes." The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Ryouki stepped out; a reddened cheek was turned her way.

_Then_ she was going to kiss him, Hatsumi decided.

"Well? You just gonna stand in there all day?"

She followed when Ryouki looked back at her, a small smile on her face.

Yes. She was still going to punch him _and_ kick him in the balls, but after that, she was going to kiss him.

"Yeah. I'm coming."

End

* * *

Notes: That... just had to be the STUPIDEST thing I have ever written. My only excuse is that I'm sick and positively drowning in Buckley's. Lucky for me, with this cold, I can barely taste a thing. 

Aside from that, this will be the last chapter of PAP. I will eventually go back and edit/rewrite the chapters, but it's not going to happen in the near future. Hope ya'll enjoyed it, and thanks for the reviews, cause hey, one-liners take time too…


End file.
